Lyric leans toward tradition in announcing 2013-14 season

Patricia Racette, pictured here at the Metropolitan Opera as Cio-Cio-San in "Madama Butterfly," will reprise the role again for the Lyric Opera of Chicago during the 2013-14 season. It's a role she will share with Amanda Echalaz in a new-to-Chicago production by London and Broadway director Michael Grandage.Courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera

Opera baritone Nathan Gunn will star once again in the title role of "The Barber of Seville" at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Soprano Patricia Racette will once again star as Cio-Cio-San in "Madama Butterfly" at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, though she will share the role with Amanda Echalaz during the 2013-14 season.Courtesy of Devon Cass

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Only one opera is a revival ("Otello"), while four others feature new productions ("Rusalka," "The Barber of Seville," "Parsifal" and "La Traviata"). Three are new-to-Chicago stagings: "Madama Butterfly," "Die Fledermaus" and "La Clemenza di Tito".

The Lyric also announced its partnership with the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization through its American Musical Theater Initiative to produce four other spring musicals by the celebrated Broadway composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II. The Lyric will stage "The Sound of Music" in 2014, "Carousel" in 2015, "The King and I" in 2016 and "South Pacific" in 2017 following this May's 70th anniversary production of "Oklahoma!"

Also on tap is a Subscriber Appreciation Recital featuring German star tenor Jonas Kaufmann with Lyric creative consultant Renée Fleming on March 19, 2014.

All operas are performed with projected English translations. For more information on casting, conductors, directors and designers, call (312) 332-2244, ext. 5600, or visit lyricopera.org.

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